


Boys Over Boys

by RikiBotic



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Absent Parents, Bullying, Child Mark Lee, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Insecure Lee Taeyong, Insecurity, M/M, Minor Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-21 02:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13731198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RikiBotic/pseuds/RikiBotic
Summary: Plotless





	1. Tiny Homewrecker

The first time Mark came home, the house was empty. It looked like a home as a much as a home could - kinda messy, well decorated, and visibly lived in. But to Mark, it was a home he never called home.

Earlier that day, he had grabbed a key from his mother’s purse and an address from between the pages of the family bible. He’d gone to school, hopped on the bus two down from the one that took him home and watched the overgrown trees get shorter and younger until the buildings became more modern and the people became more stylish. When the street matched the slanted handwriting on the yellowing scrape, he’d jump off the creaking step and walked towards the house with all the confidence in the world because he knew damn well he was meant to do this whether his mother, step-father, half-brothers and sisters believed it or not. The second he walked into the house, he felt like he was home.

He shut the door behind him, and it locked with a soft click. Mark gently toed off his shoes, propping them against the cubby to his right. Scanning his surroundings, he decided to stay within the front room and do his work until someone came home.

He was half way through his pre-algebra homework when he heard the lock jingle and he was met with a man only a few heads taller than him. His hair was light, not the dark chocolate or black hair he had been expecting, and his eyes were blank and tired, deeper than the Mariana Trench. He cocked an eyebrow and nudged the door shut. Mark clumsily rushed to his feet and lowered his head. “I’m sorry for intruding, but I’m looking for someone and I had the spare key.” The man before him slowly nodded his head, mumbled something under his breath maybe. “I’m looking for my dad… oh, my real dad. Not my shitty… step-dad.” He dug around his pockets and pulled out the key. He raised it with a trembling hand and motioned to toss it towards him. The man reached out and plucked it from his fingers. “See?” The man nodded again, this time with more understanding. “I don’t think you’re my dad though.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I ever… knocked anybody up.” The man held out the key and Mark took it back gratefully. “Started high school with straight A’s and half way through the first semester I wasn’t even straight so,” He shrugged and began to walk deeper into the house. Mark stuffed his half-assed homework into his bag; he followed the man quietly.

“Uh, could you possibly point me in the direction of the former tenant?” Mark spoke in a hushed voice. “I’ll be out of your way as soon as possible.”

“No, you got the right place.” He pulled out a bag of rice from under the counter and poured an undetermined amount of rice in a cooker. “I’m willing to bet you’re Johnny’s kid.” He, rather harshly, threw the bag back under the counter. The resounding slap of the bag against the wood made Mark flinch.

“Johnny?” An American? Canadian? Clearly not Korean?

“My boyfriend.” The man tsk-ed as he pulled out a skillet from an overhead cabinet. “Of twelve years.”

 _Well fuck,_ thought the eleven year old.

“How old are you anyway? Do you like meat?” The man pulled somethings from the fridge and tossed them onto the counter.

“Yes, thank you.” Mark nodded politely. “I’m… I’m eleven.” He watched the man go rigged for a split second before he returned to his motions.

 

_Did I just ruin a relationship?_

 

_Does this make me a homewrecker?_


	2. Family Dinners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plotless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO, IF YOU'RE FROM CHICAGO EVERYONE FROM EVERYWHERE ELSE IS ALWAYS TELLING YOU HAVE AN ACCENT BUT NO ONE EVERY HEARS IT SO EVERYTHING JOHNNY SAYS IT WRITTEN AS HOW I SAY IT OUT LOUD KEEP IN MIND I LIVE IN THE SUBURBS AND I LIVE WITH IMMIGRANT PARENTS SO MY SPEECH MAY DIFFER FROM LITERALLY EVERYONE ELSE'S BASICALLY THIS IS WRITTEN IN MY LITTLE DIALECT

Mark played with his fingers at the table. He could feel himself start it sweat with discomfort as Taeyong, the man who lived in the house he so rudely pranced into, set up the table and decorated it with dishes that smelled like heaven. “Is there anything I could help with?” Mark’s voice was quiet and shaky. Taeyong shook his head.

“It’s okay, I can handle it.” Taeyong set up an extra bowl of soup and a little dish, not unlike the one in front of him, before taking a seat. He said thanks and Mark hurriedly joined him. He gave Mark a signed to start eating and took a sip from the bowl. Mark cautiously took a sip, careful not to let any drip from his chin. He couldn’t help but sigh after he set the bowl back down. A deep chuckle came from the brunette before him and his face grew red.

“It’s very good, thank you for the food.” Mark hurriedly brought the dish back to his lips in attempts to hide his face. From his peripheral, he saw Taeyong reach for some meat and haphazardly shove it in his mouth when his phone began to ring. He held up a finger and stood up before answering.

“Hey, Johnny?” Taeyong rested his hand against his hip. “Okay, how did it go? … I made lunch. … Okay, I’ll see you in a bit.” He looked back at Mark before, “Oh! There’s something we need to talk about when you get home. … No, it’s not terribly important, but… Listen, just be quick okay? … Love you too, bye.” Taeyong tossed his phone onto the table and rubbed his temples. He sighed before returning his attention to the food in front of him. “Go on, help yourself.” Mark reached over to pick up some vegetables. They ate in relative silence, with only the occasional sound of chopsticks hitting the rim of a plate, until the roar of an engine came from outside. Taeyong opened the front door and waited patiently for another man to appear in the doorway.

The man leaned down and held Taeyong’s face as he kissed him. “Hello.”

“Welcome back.” The man rested their foreheads together, a soft smile grazing his features.

“You sounded upset so I brought you something.” The man held up a small tub of ice cream and Taeyong immediately jumped up to grab the tub of chocolate ice cream. He dashed to the kitchen to throw the tub in the freezer as Johnny began to take off his shoes. He looked up and met eyes with Mark.

“Who’s this, Tae? A student?” Johnny shut the door and walked towards the table. Mark tensed up and rushed to stand up and lower his head in greeting. Johnny returned the gesture before taking a seat. Mark hesitantly sat back down.

Taeyong returned to the table less than a minute later. “No Johnny, that’s kinda what I wanted to talk about.” He watched Johnny give thanks before continuing, “You see, Mark just so happened to join us as he is looking for his parents-” Taeyong came to a slow stop and whipped his head to face Mark. “Do your parents know you’re here?” Mark lowered his head. “Mark, does your mother know you’re here?”

“No.”

“Oh my gosh,” Taeyong sighed and put his head in his hands. He pushed the hair out of his face and gestured to the food. “Alright, hurry up and eat. I’ll drop you off.”

“No, it’s alright. I told my siblings I’d be coming home late, and I can always take the bus home, I already looked up the schedule.” Mark went red in the face as he tried to cover up this flaw in his plan. “My parents wouldn’t mind.”

“Are you sure?” Taeyong asked with a cocked brow. Mark nodded. “Well, can I call your mom to make sure it’s okay?”

“We don’t have phones,” That wasn’t a lie. Payday goes to the bills and any change was booze money, the most he’s ever gotten was a few quarters for lunch. “You could try the landline, but I don’t know if it works.” Mark shifted in his seat.

“When do your parents work?” Johnny chimed in. He didn’t seem phased by any of the conversation.

“They work through the night.” There was a tinge of caution in Mark’s answer. “I think they get home around four or five in the morning.” Johnny nodded his head.

“Alright, I guess you can stay overnight.” Mark’s eyes widened and Taeyong stared at his boyfriend with disbelief.

“Johnny, we can’t just keep him here, his parents don’t know where he is.”

“Well, they’re not gonna be home anyway. Might as well make sure, he doesn’t kill himself before breakfast tomorrow.”

“Johnny!”

“I’m just sayin’!” Johnny waved his hands in defense. “It’s a possibility, kids love finding ways to kill ‘emselves!”

Taeyong puffed his cheeks and Mark meekly intervened, “I could just catch the next bus, I don’t want to cause any trouble.” He began to stand when Johnny stood up and practically glared at him. Mark sat back down.

“He’s stayin’ Taeyong.”

“We can’t just keep him.”

“Why not?”

“Because that’s kidnapping!”

“How?”

“His parents don’t know where he is, we have him, if someone just so happened to knock like ‘Hey, have you seen this kid?’ and they see he’s with us, they will call the cop!”

“Kid-”

“His name is Mark.”

“Mark,” Johnny cleared his throat. “Do ya wanna go back home or do ya wanna stay for a bit?”

“Well, I don’t wanna cause trouble. I can go home.” Mark rubbed his neck sheepishly. Taeyong sighed in relief.

“I’ll drive you home.” Taeyong downed the rest of his soup before standing up. Johnny, however, grabbed his wrist before standing. “What?”

“Might as well wait until tomorrow, using the car for work tonight.” Johnny chuckled and gave Taeyong a quick peck on the cheek before jogging to the door, slipping on his shoes and grabbing the keys. “Bye, Mark!” He shut the door before Taeyong could yell at him.

Taeyong glanced at the clock on the wall. 19:24.

“Uh, I could,” Mark stuttered. “I could just catch the bus, Hyung. I don’t want to bother you.” Taeyong rubbed his eyes, letting his hand drag down his face.

“No, it’s fine. You might as well stay, Mark.” Taeyong began to quietly pick up the half-eaten dishes from the table. Mark jumped to help him, stacking as many plates he could without dropping them. He waddled after Taeyong and helped him pile the dishes into a dishwasher.

“Woah, you have a dishwasher! Not even my grandma has a dishwasher!” Mark’s eyes shimmered with amazement. Taeyong chuckled and took the dishes from his smaller hands.

“Yeah. Johnny grew up in Chicago, so we decided to renovate a bit.” Taeyong shut the door and pressed a few buttons. “Want to turn it on?” Mark nodded eagerly. He let Taeyong lead his fingers towards a plushy white button. As soon as he felt a little click, the machine came to life. Mark went wide eyed once again. “Cool huh?” Mark nodded his head violently.

Taeyong smiled and gently rubbed his head. Mark flushed at the unfamiliar feeling, but answered a quiet, “Yeah.”

“Did you ever finish your work from earlier?” Mark shook his head. “I can help if you want, I never have anything to do while Johnny’s gone.”

“If it’s not to much trouble.” Truth be told, he had been so busy worrying about this encounter he had forgotten to pay attention in class. (As if he did anyway.)

-

They finished all of Mark’s work within the hour. It was barely 20:00 when he had finally solved the last equation. “When is your bedtime, Mark?” Taeyong asked, crunching up the scrap paper they had been using and tossing it into a trash bin. Mark shrugged. “Don’t have a curfew? Neither did I.” Taeyong laughed to himself and Mark couldn’t help but join in. “I still gotta put you to bed early, you have school tomorrow yeah?” Mark nodded. “Do you want to take a shower? I could find you some pajamas to sleep in and I can wash your clothes so you can wear them back to school tomorrow.”

“Are you sure? I don’t wanna be trouble.” Little late for that, but Mark hoped that Taeyong wouldn’t hate him too much if he knew how sorry he was. Taeyong nodded his head, reassuring Mark that it was fine. Mark followed Taeyong to the bathroom; it was rather small compared to the other spaces he had seen, but it was shiny and clean and already way better than the one he had to share with his whole family.

Taeyong pulled out a warm, fresh towel from a tube-looking’ thing and handed it to Mark. “Don’t take too long, or the towel will be cold before you can wrap yourself in it.” Taeyong smiled and patted the boy’s head. “I’ll be back with some clothes.”

Mark watched the door close with a soft click. He gently tugged on the handle, to make sure it had locked, before he began to take off his clothes. He played with the nobs until the water warmed to a comfortable temperature. He heard a soft tap on the door, followed by Taeyong’s nasally voice. Mark gave himself a quick rinse before wrapping himself tight in a warm towel. He dried his feet and waddled out of the bathroom; Taeyong sat on the bed in the other room. He held a smaller towel and began to dry Mark’s hair with gentle hands. Mark couldn’t help but giggle quietly, not used to the attention but quickly beginning to love it.

“I couldn’t find many clothes, but I bought my nephew some things a while ago that might fit.” Taeyong folded the damp towel over his arm and handed over a small stack of soft pajamas. Mark bowed his head respectfully as Taeyong left the room to give Mark his privacy. Mark quickly shimmied into the nice clothes, savoring the feeling of new cotton. He gathered the damp towel in his arms and exited the room to follow after Taeyong. Taeyong took the towel and haphazardly threw it into a laundry basket. Very suddenly, he lifted Mark into his arms and cradled the child to his chest. Mark tensed ever so slightly, he could barely fit against Taeyong’s body and he thinks if he were any heavier Taeyong wouldn’t be able to pick him up as easily. He relaxes as Taeyong calmly walks into what Mark assumes is his room. The large bed set with fluffy pillows and thick blankets. He set Mark down on the side closest to the door before laying a pillow right down the middle. “That’s your side, I’d give you a spare bed if we had one.”

“I can just sleep on the sofa, I don’t want to intrude.” Mark tried to get up, only to have Taeyong throw a thick blanket over him. He heard Taeyong mumble a vague sentence, but before he could ask the man had turned off the lights and left the room. Mark, forever weak for a warm bed and a quiet house, couldn’t entertain his thoughts for long as he fell into deep sleep.


	3. In the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightly Thoughts

The red glare of the digital clock stared back at Mark, burning his unadjusted eyes. 1:27am. A quick scan of the room, he deemed himself safe. The warm blanket Taeyong had given him holding him tight from the cool fall weather. Speaking of the man, he appeared to be the source of the weight on the other side of the bed. Mark, not wanting to disturb the elder, rolled himself over and wrapped the blanket around him a little tighter. He let the sound of the wind running through the trees lure him to sleep. He willed himself to close his eyes, but suddenly, a deep sigh brought him back to alertness.

“Youngho…” The name was a lullaby, barely reaching Mark’s ears before falling asleep. Mark let the word wander his mind for a bit, before Taeyong seemed to sense his confusion. “Oh Johnny…” Mark tensed at the name. 

“Oh God, Jesus, Abraham… I don’t know, fucking… Buddha! Anyone... “ Taeyong leaned his head against the cold glass of the window. “What has Johnny been doing?” He reached just over Mark, who let out a quiet breath of air, and grabbed the clock. 1:27am. “He’s so late. I just wish he’d let me know where he is.” He replaced the clock on the opposite nightstand.

“We were in high school; he had just moved to Seoul as a foreign exchange student from his beloved home in Chicago. His Korean was so sloppy and his clothes were so… so… obnoxious! They let him wear the clothes he flew in with for the first day, they wouldn’t even let me lighten my hair. But they let him walk in with a signed Bulls jersey and a shiny snapback. And he was so nice. He talked to everyone for hours and hours until the teacher gave up and let the rest of day to be for socializing. He walked up to everyone with this big smile and his beautiful voice, everyone fell for him. And yet... He came to me last… and he didn’t talk for a bit… he just sat in front of me… and he smiled. He chuckled and I took it bad. I asked him what his problem was…”

 

_“Is just that…” Johnny chuckled quietly. “I don’t think I’ve seen anyone so pretty b’fore.” Taeyong went red; his cheeks going flushed and puffy._

_“That’s very bold of you.” Taeyong stated, voice as steady as he could will it. “Are all Americans so confident? Or is that a trait that only you hold?”_

_“On the contrary,” Johnny straightened his back. “I think any man would have unbeatable confidence around a person such as yourself.”_

_“Such as who?”_

_“Well, as beautiful as you. And, dare I say, as stubborn as you are.” Taeyong made a scandalized face._

_“How rude!”_

_“I’m jus’ sayin’! I bet you wouldn’t go out with me even if I got on my knees and begged ya to!”_

_“Nuh-uh! I would say yes!”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“Yeah!”_

_“Ight then, tomorrow after school. I’ll see ya at the gates.” Johnny got up from the desk and smacked his hand on Taeyong’s stack of books. He walked out of the class as the final bell rang. Taeyong sat motionless for awhile longer, as the students filed out to catch up with Johnny, he thought of the encounter that had just occurred._

 

_He went home that night and, for the first time in a long time, set his homework aside. He was alone, per usual, and took the opportunity to take a long, hot shower._

_As he undressed, the sixteen-year-old studied himself in the mirror; deep, tired eyes, pale skin, and a mouthful of baby blue braces surrounded by chapped, chewed up lips. Messy brown hair, and a skinny figure stuck in the ugly mix between dancer skinny and thin skinny. He didn’t have the sun kissed skin, shining eyes, or the lean muscle that covered Johnny’s heart. '_ _Maybe he’s just messing with me.’ Taeyong thought, a pout clouding his features as the steam clouded the mirror._

 

_He went to bed a little earlier, woke up a little later, ate a decent breakfast, and dusted his face with light concealer before heading to school._

_As he wandered the halls, he heard whispers following him. The thoughts of the other students as he passed. He felt someone’s shoulder brush against him and they tsked loudly. He felt someone’s dainty hand shove him to the side, and he saw someone else’s hand smack the books out of his own, someone else pulled his book bag harsh enough for him to fall backwards. He landed on his tailbone, back hitting the cold metal of the lockers, they kicked the books away from him when he scurried after them. They grabbed his hair when he got too close, hit him until his cheeks were whipped from the constant stings, laughed at the tears that threatened to overflow from his eyes. One of his books, an expensive comic his mother once brought him from America, skid dangerously close to a the basement stairs. And yet, just before the comic could fall into the inky black, someone stopped it. They grabbed the tattered book, walked through the crowd of people, and stopped in front of Taeyong. He cast his gaze downwards and received the book with two hands. He nodded his head in thanks._

_“Oh Johnny, that’s so nice of you!” A girl’s voice called out and draped herself over his side. “But he really doesn’t deserve your kindness. He’s awful really!”_

_Johnny glanced at the girl and asked in a soft voice, “Who is? Tell me the name of this awful person.”_

_"Why,” She pointed a manicured finger at Taeyong, who was struggling to get his things together. “He is. Why does he need a name if he brings no honor to it?”_

_Johnny signed. “How can you put value on someone you don’t bother to know?” The girl looked at him dumbfounded. “You don’t know his name, but you kick his books and pull his hair. I don’t know yours, but I’ve seen you pull his bag and shove him aside. The only thing you tie to your name, no matter what it’s held before, is hate.” He brushed her off his shoulder and squatted down to help Taeyong gather his things._

 

_“Mind if we have this date earlier than expected?”_

 

Taeyong fell back onto the bed, narrowly missing Mark with his outstretched arms. “Maybe he’s finally gotten sick of me.” Mark could hear a harsh hiccup come from Taeyong, and even with a quick glance at his side, Mark could see the trail of tears running down the side of his face. He shimmied closer to Taeyong. The man noticed the movement and wiped his tears as quickly as possible. He wrapped his arms around Mark and his blanket cocoon, holding him just below his racing heart. “Did you have a nightmare? I’m sorry I woke you.”

Mark didn’t say anything, lay still against Taeyong until his heartbeat returned to rest. He let the steady lullaby lure him back to sleep, paying no mind to the sound of a car pulling up the drive at 1:27am.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tear up, idk I have a chicken heart.


	4. Mild Mannered Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's been almost a year! Please forgive me, I have a bunch of days off because it'S FREEZING IN CHICAGO SEND HELP so I promise to make up for it.

He woke up again at 5:02am. He’s late, he should have woken up at 4:35am so he’d have enough time to make his parents breakfast. In the back of his mind, he wondered which of the other kids took over for him, or if they had even remembered to. It’s 5:03am and he’s concluded that it was most likely Seungwan or Kevin that filled in his role. 

 

5:04am

 

5:05am

 

Taeyong’s hold on him has yet to die down. If anything, Mark is sure it only got tighter throughout the night. He tried his best to wiggle in the tight grip. Shimmying lower, he found that all his effort were wasted as Taeyong pulled him back to his chest in a single tug. He sighed.

 

5:09am

 

5:15am

 

By the grace of god, Taeyong’s grip lightened up as he rolled onto his back. Mark took the chance to free himself from his blanket cocoon.

He slid onto the floor, surprisingly it wasn’t cold. He searched the ground until he found a vent. Gently placing his hand against it, he felt the slow flow of warm air against his palm. Strange. He faintly recalled the thermostat being neutral yesterday. Taeyong must of turned it on before he went to bed. Mark tiptoed out of the room, cautiously making his way to the bathroom. He barely turned tap on to splash some cold water on his face. 

 

5:20am

 

He carefully patted down the stairs. His gaze drifted to a figure curled up on the sofa. He approached the figure to find it was, in fact, just Johnny.  _ Why is he on the sofa? _

Mark took a step away from him. He wondered if he should get Taeyong or wake him up. A hand on his arm made him jump. 

“Don’t tell Tae.” Johnny’s voice was thick and raspy with sleep. He kept his eyes close. “When do you have to be at school?”

Despite his racing heartbeat, he willed his voice steady. “7:00… The bus ride was an hour long.” Johnny hummed before sitting up. He got to his feet and headed to the kitchen. Mark dragged a bit, keeping his distance from the tall man. He stood in the doorway, watching Johnny move around the kitchen. 

“I’ll get your breakfast… just get dressed.” His voice was raspy but somehow Mark felt it wasn’t from the lack of sleep. He didn’t say anything.

 

_ 2:00am _

 

_ Taeyong’s sweet laugh filled the quiet night. His once tear stained face broke out in a wide smile that crushed his eyes and gave him crows feet. Johnny couldn’t help but stare at him.  _

 

_ 2:01am _

 

_ Johnny reached out to hold his hand. “Has it always been like that?” _

_ “Like what?” Taeyong tried to dodge his fingers, but the cage wrapped around his hand; he couldn’t help but smile and return the gesture.  _

_ “Like this morning.” Johnny watched his features fall. A sharp pang of guilty hit him in the chest. Taeyong rolled onto his side to face him. _

_ “No.” He said plainly. His dark eyes stared into the taller boy. “A lot of them used to be my… my friends actually. The girl you met, we used to be dance partners but she dropped the classes after… we fell out?” Taeyong chuckled brokenly. “That’s not the right word but, heh, close enough.”  _

_ Johnny entertained his thoughts. “What happened?” Taeyong stayed silent; Johnny didn’t push it. “You’re very beautiful.” Taeyong scoffed, but the blush on his face betrayed him. “I’m being serious.” _

_ “Thank you.” Taeyong brushed some hair away from his face. “What time is it?” _

_ “I’s late.” Johnny answered, his thick accent returning. He had been willing it away through their serious chat. Taeyong giggled. “Is my accent funny to ya?”  _

_ “No.” Taeyong tried to kill his laughter. “I’s not funny.” He mimicked Johnny’s voice but it came out poor and childlike.  _

_ “I don’ ta’k like that!” _

_ “Yes, you do!” _

_ “No, I don’t!” _

_ “You have such a strange accent.” Taeyong mumbled. _

_ “I can barely hear it.” Johnny shrugged. “I don’ think anyone from Chicago can hear it.” _

_ “Very strange.” Taeyong mumbled. “I like it. It’s very unique.” _

_ “Really?” Taeyong nodded. “Thanks. M’ mom made me tryta get rid of it but I’m glad ya like it.” Taeyong smiled at him and played with his fingers that were still wrapped around his own.  _

 

_ 2:05am _

 

_ “I like it a lot.” _

 

6:45am

 

The phone rang on Johnny’s dashboard. 

“Mark, could ya get that for me?” The boy nodded and reached for the phone. “Thanks kid.”

“Hello?” Mark answered the phone. 

“Hello? Mark, is that you?” Taeyong’s voice came through the phone speaker. “Are you with Johnny? Did you eat before you left? Do you have enough money for lunch and to get home? Johnny! Did you feed him, at least?!” 

Johnny tisked. “Yeah, I fed ‘im.” He made a turn and leaned forward to read the street signs. “Who do ya think I am?”

“Mark, do you have enough money to get home?” Taeyong turned his attention back to the boy. “Johnny! You better take care of Mark!”

“I am, damn what else do ya want from me?” Johnny hissed as he parked in front of the school. “Anything else ya’d liketa tell me?” Mark counted his coins and Johnny handed him a twenty as he put the phone to his ear. “Yeah, I’ll tell ‘im… I’ll see you later.” He ended the call before putting the phone back on the dash. 

“I’m sorry for being so much trouble.” Mark bowed his head. He reached for the door. Johnny patted his head. 

“Don’t worry, Mark. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Johnny smiled kindly. “Have a good day at school okay? Taeyong seems quite fond of you, he said have a good day too.” Mark couldn’t help but smile as he thanked Johnny and Taeyong in his head before getting out of the car.

_ I like them a lot. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aH THIS IS SO SHORT I'M SORRY


	5. Do Flirts Dream of Sheep Men?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmares are common place in the Lee-Seo house.

“Taeyong?” The door locked behind Johnny. The click startled him but he kept his eyes on the room. “Taeyong?” He called again and he was greeted with footsteps from upstairs. Taeyong appeared at the top of the stairway, crouching down to see him below the ceiling. The brunet smiled and waved at him from his step before heading back upstairs. “Tae?” The footsteps echoed in the house. Johnny followed his boyfriend up the stairs, calling his name. 

This wasn’t his home, he realized. He tripped when he reached the top step, and as he got to his feet, the walls were not the familiar off white color that was all over his home but instead a faded brown color. A sharp pain stabbed his chest. 

Johnny looked around the new room. In the back of his mind, he knew where he was. There was a squeaking sound he recognized, but he focused on the photos on the wall.

There he was, the boy with baby blue braces and soft brown hair. He reached out to touch the wooden frame. He remembered this day very well. Taeyong had just turned seventeen and Johnny had saved for months to take him to a nice amusement park. Taeyong had begged him to go on rides together and they got on the Ferris Wheel at the end of the night, only to be stuck at the top for an hour after the park had closed. Taeyong smiled at the camera as the lights of the fireworks lit up his face. 

The pain in his chest returned when he remembered what occurred in the room just months prior. 

“Youngho~” Her voice filled the room, followed closely by his own quiet grunts. He refused to face the sinful scene. “Go faster, would you?” Her wanton moans seemed to echo in his ears. A dreadful feeling filled his being. He covered the picture Taeyong’s eyes.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered to the still image of the teenager. A shaky breath filled his lungs. “I’m so sorry, Tae.” He turned around and left the room, but not without catching a glimpse his teenage self holding the girl above him against his hips. He entered the hallway, the true hallway of his home. The sound of running water came from the bathroom. He knocked on the door. “Taeyong? Babe?” 

“Yes?” Taeyong’s soothing voice came from the other side. Slowly, Johnny opened the door. Yet he found himself back in the hallway. He looked up and panic filled his person. The young Taeyong had his hand on the handle of his bedroom door, completely oblivious to what was happening on the other side. Johnny ran and grabbed the boy, pulling him against him and hiding his face in his chest. The door creaked open and he saw himself again. Himself and  _ that girl. _ The thin boy in his arms tried to push him away. “Johnny?” He tried to move but the man only held him closer. After a second, the young Taeyong wrapped his arms around the taller’s waist, chuckling at his antics. “I love you so much, Johnny.” 

With a shaky hand, Johnny ran his fingers through Taeyong’s soft locks. “I love you so much too, Taeyong.” A thick lump settled in his stomach. How  _ dare  _ he say that given the scene in front of him, the act that was ingrained in his memory. The affair he had the nerve to have in Tae’s own home. He wanted nothing more than to rip the girl away from himself, but every time he’d tried his fingers passed through her and Taeyong’s soft crying would resound from the doorway. At least for tonight, he could save his beloved’s tears. 

He rested his chin atop Taeyong’s head and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes he was greeted with the girl. She sat on the edge of the bed, putting her hair in a ponytail just above the base of her neck. His head rested against the pillow.

“Wasn’t that fun?” She smiled at him before turning her attention to her sneakers. “Much better than your boy-toy right? Maybe I’ll let him know.” 

He grabbed her arm and she whipped her head around in fright. 

_ “Don’t tell Tae.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love y'all ;)


End file.
